Mayor of Freetown Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr alongside her deputy Kweku Lisk Esq and Senior staff of Freetown City Council earlier today Wednesday 5th February 2025 welcomed Mayors and Vice Governors for the first ever African Urban Heat Summit in Freetown.

The delegates are from Kanifing, Monrovia, Conakry, Accra, Ouagadougou, and Abidjan, which also comprise of the CEO, Board Chair and staff of Climate Resilience for All (CRA), co-hosts for the Summit, the CEO of Quadrature Foundation and a senior representative of C40 Cities.

The official welcome began with an inspection of a guard of honor by the Freetown City Council Metropolitan Police. The Mayor, Deputy Mayor and Chief Administrator then presented the visiting Mayors with the “Key to Freetown Municipality,” symbolizing the city’s commitment to regional collaboration and partnership.

Scheduled for February 6th, 2025, the summit is bringing together local government leaders from across Sierra Leone, development partners, multilateral organizations, and key climate stakeholders.

Discussions will focus on developing urgent solutions and raising the finance required to combat the growing threat of extreme heat and its impacts on urban areas.